A can of drink shared by four people was soon empty.
Next was still endless waiting.
Shiina Taki initially chatted with Tomori, but as sweat poured out, she soon lost the strength to chat.
"My throat feels so bad…"
Shiina Taki pursed her dry lips, feeling the burning pain in her throat once more.
The few sips of drink she had just consumed had now all turned into sweat and flowed out of her body.
"So much time has passed… When will Hana let us out?"
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip lightly, unable to resist asking.
"I don't know." Kitahara Makoto opened his eyes. "The time behind the mirror is quite chaotic. Perhaps Hana can let us out the next second, or it might be another full day."
Shiina Taki: "…"
That statement was as good as saying nothing!
If there was a specific time, even if it was difficult to endure, she could still persevere.
But now, with nothing certain, only endless waiting, Shiina Taki felt every minute and every second become extraordinarily long.
A moment later.
Kitahara Makoto, who was sitting across from the three girls, suddenly stood up.
"Makoto-kun, what's wrong?"
Tomori asked curiously.
Shiina Taki looked over with anticipation:
"Can we leave already?"
"To be precise, I need to leave temporarily." Kitahara Makoto simply wiped his body and then began to put on his clothes. "Hana just told me through her thoughts that Ms. Takagi's daughter is not in good condition, so the rest time is over, and I need to hurry to save her."
"I'll go with Makoto-kun."
Mutsumi immediately stood up, speaking as she began to put on her clothes.
"I'll go too."
Tomori also wanted to go together.
Only Shiina Taki felt completely miserable.
If you all leave, won't I be left alone again?
Thinking of the desperate scene of being alone in the sauna before, Shiina Taki's scalp tingled, but the words of retention caught in her throat and she couldn't utter them.
Sakura, the elementary school student, was in life-threatening danger right now, so saving her naturally came first.
"Taki, why don't you let Makoto-kun share his ability with you?"
Tomori turned to look at her, saying softly:
"Staying in the sauna is too agonizing."
Shiina Taki parted her lips, a hint of hesitation flashing across her pretty face.
At this moment, Mutsumi's voice rang out:
"Taki, don't worry, kissing is very comfortable."
Shiina Taki's face turned crimson, and she couldn't help but retort:
"I don't care if it's comfortable or not!"
What if it was comfortable?
The important thing was that she absolutely did not want to give her first kiss to a harem scumbag!
Seeing this, Tomori sighed silently.
Taki was already hesitating. If Mutsumi hadn't spoken, she might have actually agreed… But now, she definitely wouldn't.
"Then Taki, please wait a moment." Tomori said softly, "We'll go save the elementary school student first."
Shiina Taki's voice was dry:
"…Okay, please be careful."
As they spoke, Tomori and Mutsumi had already put on their clothes.
Although it was incredibly uncomfortable to put on clothes while drenched in sweat, they didn't know the situation of the elementary school student's fear space, so clothes had to be worn.
Once the two girls were ready, Kitahara Makoto said decisively:
"Without further ado, let's depart now."
The shared ability could exist indefinitely unless Kitahara Makoto retracted it.
[Sage Time] activated.
The three's eyes quickly became calm and desireless, then they passed directly through the spatial barrier, silently leaving the sauna.
The not-so-large sauna immediately became desolate.
Shiina Taki walked to the wall where the three had passed through, extended her right hand, and reached for the wall. However, she could only touch the hard wall covered in steam, and her mood uncontrollably sank:
"It only required a kiss… and I could have left with them… Why did I refuse?"
"It's like when someone is drowning, artificial respiration doesn't count as a kiss."
"In special circumstances, one shouldn't be so particular, right?"
Shiina Taki walked back to the bench, hugged her knees, and silently buried her face in her arms.
At the same time.
Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, the three figures appeared out of thin air in the villa corridor.
"Eh?" Tomori exclaimed in surprise, "Are we back in the real world?"
"Not reality." Kitahara Makoto shook his head. "Look outside the window."
Tomori and Mutsumi both turned to look out the window.
Outside, they could see a pitch-black night sky.
"I asked Hana, the real world is still daytime, not nighttime." Kitahara Makoto said softly, "This is clearly Sakura, the elementary school student's fear space."
Tomori tilted her head in confusion: "Strange, home should be the safest place, so why would it become the elementary school student's fear?"
"It varies from person to person." Kitahara Makoto said softly. "After all, everyone's family is different."
Mutsumi agreed:
"Makoto-kun is right, some children are afraid to go home."
Kitahara Makoto said seriously:
"Let's go, we'll know the specific situation soon."
Their current location was the second floor of the villa, and a few steps forward would lead to Sakura, the elementary school student's room.
Upon reaching the room door, Kitahara Makoto grasped the doorknob, gently distorted it, and silently pushed the door open.
"Shh~"
Kitahara Makoto made a gesture to the two girls to stay quiet, then quietly pushed the door open a crack and began to observe the situation inside.
Splat!
A loud slap resounded first, followed by a woman's gloomy and sharp voice.
"Why didn't you get a perfect score on this exam?"
"I hired tutors for every subject, how can you be so stupid!"
"Stick out your hand. This subject was five points short of a perfect score, so I'll hit you five times."
"Practice piano for an extra hour tonight."
"Guests are coming tomorrow. Go to your tea ceremony lesson now. Don't embarrass me when you serve tea to the guests tomorrow!"
"…"
The gloomy voice was stifling to listen to.
Even Mutsumi, who lacked emotions, slightly furrowed her slender, dark brows at this moment.
Kitahara Makoto squinted his eyes and looked inside. He could see that the light in the room was dim. An elementary school student was kneeling on the floor, her small body trembling, her shoulders shaking continuously. She clearly wanted to cry but dared not make a sound.
Across from the elementary school student was a woman dressed in a luxurious long gown.
However, this woman's body had been stretched and deformed, her head almost touching the ceiling. She was clearly an exaggeratedly slender shadow.
Tomori widened her eyes and couldn't help but whisper:
"That woman… looks like Mrs. Takagi?"
"Remove 'looks like'." Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice. "She is Mrs. Takagi, who gave us the commission."
Tomori was incredulous:
"Shouldn't a mother be the closest person to her child? Why would Mrs. Takagi become Sakura's nightmare?"
Kitahara Makoto said in a deep voice:
"There are always some people in the world who are not suitable to be parents. Either they ignore their children, or their desire for control is terrifying… Compared to that, Mutsumi's mother can be said to be quite good."
I used to think Mrs. Wakaba was very irresponsible, neglecting Mutsumi and letting her run wild, but now that I have a comparison, I unexpectedly find her quite good.
Mutsumi nodded in agreement: "My mother is actually a very good person."
"Let's not talk about that anymore… I'll go in first."
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, then suddenly pushed the door open.
Boom.
The door slammed against the wall, and the sound instantly attracted the two people in the room.
"Who are you?"
Mrs. Takagi, in her nightmare form, had a gloomy gaze, holding a ruler in her hand, and her voice was sharp:
"How dare you barge in while I'm educating my daughter? Do you believe I'll fire you?!"
"Tsk~"
Kitahara Makoto clicked his tongue softly, clenching his right fist and raising it mid-air:
"Mrs. Takagi, what do you think this is?"
"What?"
"A fist as big as a sandbag."
"…"
Nightmare Mrs. looked gloomy:
"Get out of here!"
Kitahara Makoto charged straight in: "Eat my punch of justice!"
This was a terrifying space behind the mirror, and the slender, ghost-like Mrs. in front of him was not a real person, so Kitahara Makoto naturally had no psychological burden when he started fighting.
As Kitahara Makoto punched Nightmare Mrs. away, the two girls quickly ran to the elementary school student's side.
"Sakura, are you alright?"
Tomori asked with concern.
"Who, who are you?"
The elementary school student looked up with a confused expression on her small face.
"We are your mother…"
Tomori stopped mid-sentence and bit her lower lip.
After learning Mrs. Takagi's 'true face', Tomori suddenly didn't want to mention Mrs. Takagi in front of the elementary school student, otherwise she felt it would be counterproductive.
Mutsumi gave a thumbs up, her eyes sparkling:
"We are magical girls representing love and justice."
Tomori: "…"
A moment later.
The slender, ghost-like Mrs. Takagi had been blown apart, literally blown apart, directly exploding into a sky full of black mist.
Unfortunately, this thing clearly couldn't be easily eliminated; wisps of black mist began to gather again, clearly intending to re-condense a body, but it wouldn't be able to form in a short time.
Kitahara Makoto walked over, feeling refreshed:
"That felt good."
Tomori looked up: "Makoto-kun, what should we do now?"
Although they had beaten the elementary school student's nightmare, it clearly wasn't very useful. The elementary school student's fear space remained impregnable; facing fear was impossible for the elementary school student, and kissing was absolutely out of the question.
"No big deal." Kitahara Makoto stretched his limbs, then said, "Tomori just told me through her thoughts that her ability is almost finished analyzing, and we can leave soon."
"If Tomori says soon, then it's definitely soon."
"We don't need to do anything; we just need to wait here for Tomori to open the exit."
"That's good…"
Hearing this news, Tomori immediately relaxed.
"Makoto-kun." Mutsumi looked up with her pretty face, "And maid."
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
If you hadn't said anything, I would have completely forgotten about maid!
Although Mutsumi lacks emotions, it must be said that she is quite kind and always remembers maid, who doesn't even have a name.
"Understood." Kitahara Makoto nodded lightly, "Tomori, Mutsumi, you two stay here and watch the elementary school student, distracting her. Mrs. Takagi won't revive for a short time, I'll go find maid."
"Wait." Tomori said softly, "There's also Taki."
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow:
"We haven't been gone long, Taki should be fine, right?"
"Makoto-kun also said that time behind the mirror is chaotic. Maybe a long time has passed in the space Taki is in." Tomori shook her head, "And endless waiting is tormenting. Please, Makoto-kun, go and tell Taki not to worry."
"Leave it to me."
Kitahara Makoto nodded lightly, activated Sage Time, and quietly left.
Maid wasn't immediately visible, so Kitahara Makoto decided to see Shiina Taki first.
Crossing through space, he arrived at the sauna, and the high-temperature steam once again rushed towards him.
"Taki-san, I'm back."
Kitahara Makoto called out.
"…"
The dim sauna was silent; no one responded.
"Hmm?"
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow, looked towards the petite girl in the corner, and then strode over.
Shiina Taki was lying on a bamboo chair, her clothes naturally already removed, and her snow-white skin was clearly visible in the dim environment.
"Taki?"
Kitahara Makoto's gaze merely swept over her before landing on Shiina Taki's small face.
Shiina Taki's small face was flushed red like fire, as if she had drunk too much fake alcohol, and her whole person was somewhat disoriented.
"So hot."
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand and placed it on Shiina Taki's forehead; the scorching temperature immediately transferred to his palm.
"Miscalculation."
Kitahara Makoto frowned slightly.
There were indeed no other monsters in the sauna, but it was not without danger; the high-temperature and high-humidity environment was an invisible danger.
During hot summers, people often get heatstroke. Kitahara Makoto was not sure what Taki's condition was at the moment, but it was clearly not normal.
"Kitahara-kun… you're back?" Shiina Taki blinked, her vision slowly regaining focus, and said hoarsely, "Where's Tomori?"
"We found the elementary school student Sakura. Tomori and Mutsumi are taking care of her. I came over to check on your situation." Kitahara Makoto explained softly, "How do you feel now, Taki?"
"My throat… it hurts so much…"
Shiina Taki's voice was hoarse.
"It should be due to too much water being expelled from your body." Kitahara Makoto prepared to get up, "Taki, rest for a bit, I'll go to another space to find you some water."
"No, don't…"
A small hand suddenly gripped Kitahara Makoto's thumb tightly.
Shiina Taki's small face was burning hot, and she struggled to sit up, her voice pleading:
"Don't go…"
Although this Taki had a stubborn and serious personality, she was ultimately just a sixteen-year-old girl who hadn't experienced much hardship in her life. Being trapped in the sauna, all alone, she had clearly reached her limit.
Kitahara Makoto extended his right hand and gently rubbed Shiina Taki's head, saying softly:
"I'm just going back to get you water. It won't take long."
"You also said you'd be back soon when you left, but it's been a long time since you came back…"
Shiina Taki bit her lower lip tightly. The feeling of waiting alone was too terrifying, and she absolutely did not want to continue waiting.
"You're already starting to dehydrate." Kitahara Makoto said patiently, "You must replenish water quickly, or it will be dangerous."
Shiina Taki took a deep breath and said:
"I want to leave with Kitahara-kun."
Kitahara Makoto shook his head and said:
"Sorry, there's no way to take Taki with me yet…"
"There is a way."
"Hmm?"
Shiina Taki slightly averted her small face and whispered:
"Like Tomori and Mutsumi… after sharing abilities, we can leave, right?"
Kitahara Makoto: "…"
You want to share abilities now?
You were so confident before, saying not to dream, but now you're actively giving in!
However, it was normal to give in when stuck alone in such a terrible sauna. Let alone Taki being just an ordinary girl, even a boy probably couldn't endure it.
Kitahara Makoto hesitated:
"To share abilities, you must meet the corresponding conditions. Even if we kiss, Taki might not be able to get out…"
"Less nonsense!" Shiina Taki bit her teeth and glared at him, "Let's try it first, and then we'll talk if it doesn't work!"
"Alright." Kitahara Makoto agreed, "So, will Taki kiss me, or will I kiss you?"
Shiina Taki: "…"
How can you, a boy, have the nerve to ask such a question!
Shiina Taki was both shy and angry. Her previously drowsy body suddenly gained a burst of strength. She raised her small face and forcefully pressed her lips against Kitahara Makoto's.
The scorching touch instantly branded itself onto her heart, causing Shiina Taki's heartbeat to suddenly accelerate, and her eyes involuntarily closed in shyness.
(Stay calm, don't panic.)
(Besides being a bit hot, there's nothing scary at all!)
(Tomori and Mutsumi aren't here, so no one will know. As long as I keep it a secret, after we get out, I can pretend nothing happened, right?)
Amidst her wild thoughts, Shiina Taki suddenly felt a trace of moisture.
Upon sensing this, Shiina Taki's throat, which was already dry and aching, became even more painful, as if flames were burning within her.
The high-temperature, high-humidity environment, coupled with the girl's sense of shame, made Shiina Taki's already dizzy head even dizzier. Now, sensing the wetness, her body instinctively wanted to extract more.
Thus, Kitahara Makoto was surprised to find that even though the ritual was complete, this Taki actually held him even tighter, and even a small tongue invaded…
Several minutes later.
In the dim sauna, a soft 'pop' sound suddenly rang out, followed by the girl's hurried breathing and coughing.
"Cough, cough…"
Shiina Taki clutched her chest, breathing rapidly and coughing incessantly, her small face flushed red to the point of exploding, as if blood would drip from it any second.
(W-what did I just do?!)
(I only needed to touch him simply, but I couldn't help myself…)
Shiina Taki was completely flustered.
(Ahhhhh! Nightmare! This is the real nightmare!)
Kitahara Makoto wiped the thread from the corner of his lips and said seriously, "Taki-san, please take responsibility."
"...Huh?!"
Shiina Taki's eyes widened in disbelief.
What did this guy just say?
He's actually telling me to take responsibility?
You're the one who got a huge bargain!
Kitahara Makoto said righteously, "Taki took my virginity. Isn't it reasonable for her to take responsibility?"
"Pfft!"
Shiina Taki couldn't help but snort, glaring at him shamefully, "Stop talking nonsense, you harem scumbag, you don't even have such a thing as virginity!"
Kitahara Makoto said shamelessly, "At least my virginity is still intact today."
"Shine!"
Kitahara Makoto wasn't angry at all; instead, he smiled and said, "Taki, it's about time you got dressed."
Ability sharing has been successful.
In other words, during the kissing ceremony just now, Shiina Taki obviously met the limited conditions.
Even if Shiina Taki was unwilling to admit it, it was clear that affection would not disappear just by denying it.
"Eh?"
Shiina Taki was stunned, then remembered that she had forgotten something super important, and quickly raised her hand to cover her chest.
"You... forget everything that just happened!"
Kitahara Makoto continued to smile, "Please rest assured, this is Taki-san's first time, and I will cherish it for a lifetime."
Shiina Taki clenched her small fists in anger, "You really want to die once!"
"You've finally recovered a little strength, don't just focus on being angry, put your clothes on first," Kitahara Makoto reminded her. "Ability sharing has been successful. I'll take you to meet Tomori first."
"..."
Shiina Taki immediately fell silent.
Ability sharing was successful?
In other words...
She really had a good impression of this harem scumbag?
(I just tried it out of desperation... how did it succeed?)
(What else does this guy have besides being tall, having a good figure, knowing how to make girls happy, and providing a sense of security at critical moments?)
(The mere fact that he's a harem scumbag negates all his advantages!)
However, the more Shiina Taki tried to deny it, the more guilty she felt.
People can deceive others, but they can't deceive themselves.
Despite her unwillingness to admit it, that morning, after the answer book eliminated the inferiority complex that had followed her for more than ten years, and after seeing the name 'Kitahara Rīki' in the book, Kitahara Makoto had already become special in Shiina Taki's heart.
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, suppressed her jumbled thoughts, and instructed, "Turn around, I'm going to get dressed!"
"Slow down, don't rush, be careful not to fall."
Kitahara Makoto obediently turned his back.
Rustling sounds quietly arose.
Shiina Taki quickly put on her clothes, covering her skirt with both hands:
"You are absolutely not allowed to tell Tomori about what just happened!"
Kitahara Makoto hesitated, "If Tomori finds out about our secret..."
"Who's being secretive with you?!" Shiina Taki was so angry she wanted to hit him. "I wasn't thinking straight just now! Just pretend nothing happened, and no one is allowed to bring it up again!"
"Alright," Kitahara Makoto promised, "I won't tell anyone."
Shiina Taki took a deep breath, "How do we leave?"
"Close your eyes and feel the power I just shared with you," Kitahara Makoto imparted his experience. "Then try to activate it."
"..."
Shiina Taki closed her eyes as instructed, and quickly found the power Kitahara Makoto shared, successfully activating [Sage Time]. Her eyes, which were originally full of shame and anger, quickly became devoid of desire.
As Shiina Taki lost her fear, the space quickly became transparent.
Kitahara Makoto held Taki's small hand and passed directly through the spatial barrier, returning to the elementary school student's fear space.
"Tomori!"
Seeing Tomori in the room, Shiina Taki, who had survived the ordeal, was exceptionally excited and rushed forward impatiently.
"Taki, you're here?"
Tomori's voice was surprised.
Mutsumi tilted her head and looked over:
"Did Taki and Makoto-kun kiss?"
Shiina Taki: "..."
Oh no.
She forgot that everyone knew the limited conditions for sharing abilities.
Mutsumi asked curiously, "How was it? Was kissing very comfortable?"
Shiina Taki turned her small face away in embarrassment:
"It wasn't comfortable at all!"
"Strange," Mutsumi said, puzzled, "But I felt very comfortable."
"This topic ends here!" Shiina Taki quickly interrupted. "After everyone leaves later, don't talk about the specific details!"
Mutsumi asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Shiina Taki: "..."
Kitahara Makoto spoke from the side:
"No need to wait any longer, we can leave now."
"Eh?"
The three girls all looked over.
Kitahara Makoto nodded, "Hana-chan just informed me with her inner voice that she has initially mastered her new ability and can now open the exit passage."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Shiina Taki immediately became excited. "Let's get out of here quickly."
Mutsumi said softly, "There's also maid."
"Maid is my responsibility." Kitahara Makoto looked at the mirror on the desk. "I'll send you out first."
First to be sent out were the elementary school students, who easily passed through the mirror and were sent to the real world.
"Taki, you go out first."
Kitahara Makoto turned and said.
"...Okay."
Shiina Taki unconsciously agreed.
Although she had escaped the terrifying sauna, her throat was still dry and sore, and she was drenched in sweat. In short, she felt uncomfortable all over and desperately wanted to return to the real world.
Tomori said softly, "Taki, go in. I'll help you."
"Thank you, Tomori."
Shiina Taki stepped onto the stool and climbed onto the desk, reaching out to touch the mirror. The mirror surface indeed rippled like water, and her right hand easily entered it.
Her head, shoulders, and upper body... all passed through smoothly.
However, when she reached a certain part, she was suddenly stuck by the edge of the mirror.
"Stuck, stuck..."
Shiina Taki's voice was anxious, and she distorted her body hard, but she still couldn't get out.
It has to be said that the physical structures of boys and girls are indeed very different. For example, despite having the figure of an elementary school student, a certain part was quite exaggerated, directly getting stuck at the edge of the mirror!
"Strange," Tomori said, puzzled, "Everyone else came in before without any problems."
Kitahara Makoto pondered, "It should be that Hana-chan's ability isn't skilled enough yet... It looks like it shouldn't be too far off. If you all help push Taki, she should be able to get out."
"Okay."
Tomori and Mutsumi naturally stepped forward to help.
Shiina Taki was wearing a skirt, and during the pushing, the hem of her skirt suddenly rolled up.
The next second.
An endless holy light instantly blocked Kitahara Makoto's eyes.
After a brief silence.
Mutsumi's understated voice rang out:
"Taki isn't wearing panties."
"..."
Shiina Taki's struggling body suddenly stiffened, as if she had directly turned into a lifeless sculpture.
Tomori didn't speak, but quickly lowered her skirt, then turned to look at Kitahara Makoto.
"I didn't see anything."
Kitahara Makoto said righteously.
Mutsumi tilted her head and looked over, "Makoto-kun, why are you closing your eyes when you speak?"
Kitahara Makoto said faintly, "Because... I don't want to speak with my eyes open and lie."